Major call from CHP leader Özel: 'We invite Turkey to stand up'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel spoke at his party's parliamentary group meeting.

CHP leader Özgür Özel began his remarks by commemorating the Madımak Massacre and the Başbağlar Massacre.

Highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

ELECTIONS IN EUROPE

"Those who divide society and produce hatred are trying to rise in Europe by gaining strength and reviving fascism. The formula for this is on the left. It is our job to feed the poor and produce egalitarian policies.

On March 31, we will not fight with you; the success of the CHP, which fights for the poor, for minimum wage earners, and for retirees, is the language of the socialists today. Pedro Sanchez succeeded. The British Labour Party secured a large majority in Parliament. While there is a far-right danger in Paris, France is one of the three countries in Europe where we have the most compatriots. In France, democratic forces united. Progressives and leftists achieved first place. I am reminding Turkey of the formula for all of Europe and the world once again. All the democrats of the world will come together and eventually defeat fascism. The Socialist International is a very influential structure with sister parties around the world.

'WE WILL ALSO DROP ZEROS'

In the government to be formed under CHP rule, this is what will happen after 10 years. Just like the AK Party did, we will also drop zeros. We will drop that zero from the labels, we will drop it from the prices, but we will not drop it from the salaries. You will see that the money in your pocket is worth 10 times more. You will see that the electricity bill is 50 lira, not 500. We say remove the injustice in taxes, but they think of their cronies, not the citizens. In the first general election to be held, our party will come to power, Turkey will become wealthy, and everyone will be relieved.

AIRCRAFT REMARK TO ERDOĞAN

Tomorrow, we are going to Sarajevo with our delegation. The person who made the first visit to Mostar 3 years before the massacre was our late Chairman Deniz Baykal. They did not listen to the late Baykal. I recall the saying that forgotten massacres are repeated again. We are in Sarajevo on the 11th. We will be in Cyprus on July 20th. On the 50th anniversary of the Peace Operation, we are going to Cyprus to say 'peace at home, peace in the world' with Ayşe.

There is no such thing as 'Erdoğan called, Özgür Özel refused.' We will go with our own delegation as planned long ago.

Tayyip Bey, when there are 13 planes, he thinks everyone has a plane. All the planes in the fleet of AJet, AnadoluJet, and THY are the planes of the CHP.

TEACHER APPOINTMENTS

These days in Parliament, there is a regulation regarding women's surnames in the Omnibus Bill. The Constitutional Court says the woman decides which surname to use. Upon this, the AK Party says, 'The woman uses her husband's surname, but she can also use her own if she wishes.' They are trying to take away the constitutional gains of women once again. You are trying to use this practice, which no longer exists anywhere in Europe. As a state, what is it to you? Women decide for themselves. This mentality is the Ministry of National Education (MEB) branch. One of the two ministries that the AK Party changes the most. The MEB commission chairman introduced the Teaching Profession Law. The previous deputy, the current minister, is reintroducing the Teaching Profession Law. Once again, they are bringing another absurd change. This time it is not incompetence; in fact, they know very well what they are doing. In 2002, Erdoğan said to Ecevit, 'Why did you educate them if you were not going to appoint 68 thousand teachers?' Today, it is 1 million. Yusuf Tekin committed a major crime. They are going to snatch the diplomas of 1 million teachers.

They gave diplomas to 1 million people, and now they say 'it didn't work out, children.' Confiscating the diploma of an unappointed teacher is the greatest theft of labor. There are 1 million teacher candidates, 20 thousand of them have been in a bubble for 2 years. Let's see, are they loyal to our leader, do they salute with 4 fingers or 5 fingers? Yusuf Tekin said: 'We prepared the law, submitted it to the palace, it will soon be opened for the signatures of the deputies.' We will not let Yusuf Tekin devour the future of these children of ours.

The state of emergency (OHAL) authority, which was taken for other purposes during FETÖ's bloody coup attempt... They said, 'We want it for 3 months, but we will drop it in 1 and a half months.' They said 3 months, but they continued it for years.

The OHAL Commission stalled people for 7 years.

'TÜİK IS STEALING MONEY FROM THE CITIZEN'S POCKET'

Let's come to another figure. The inflation figure announced by TÜİK is not statistics or anything; it is bread, bread. For years, TÜİK has not disclosed data that should be transparent. ENAG discloses it. ENAG finds inflation at 160, TÜİK at 80. Whatever the definition of violating rights is, this is what this government is doing to this public through TÜİK. TÜİK is stealing money from the citizen's pocket. TÜİK does whatever it is told.

TÜİK says rents in Turkey are 5 thousand 800 TL. A döner sandwich is at least 200 TL. TÜİK says 77 TL. Olive oil is at least 240 TL. TÜİK says, 'I found it for 113 TL somewhere, go find it.' This is all talk and no substance. The raise given to salaries is based on these figures. TÜİK is stealing money from the pockets of everyone, whether they voted for this government or not. Today, those who will receive a 3 thousand TL raise should know that 3 thousand TL is in TÜİK's pocket. The one who steals the money in your pocket is the one who appoints the head of TÜİK.

ÖZEL'S 'ON-OFF' CALL TO CITIZENS

We say let Turkey normalize. While talking to the Germans, the retirement pension is 270 euros; the German chancellor thinks I misspoke and corrects me. Since January, we have advocated in every square that the lowest retirement pension should be the minimum wage. We want the lowest retirement pension to be the minimum wage; the government is still playing the three monkeys. Union leaders spoke out today against those who play the three monkeys. I congratulate the heads of DİSK, TÜRK-İŞ, and HAK-İŞ who demanded the inflation raise that was not given.

Retirees should be given the minimum wage, and the minimum wage should be raised. If we raise this struggle together, we will take this raise by force.

We invite Turkey to stand up. Stand up tonight at 9 o'clock. If you want a raise in your salary, we start at 9 tonight; turn the lights on, turn the lights off. Stand up. We will take the raise by force. Either there will be a raise and a living wage, or there will be an election.

THAT PROTEST CAME TO MIND

Özel's call brought to mind the 'One Minute of Darkness for Constant Enlightenment' protest following the Susurluk Scandal.

The protest is known as an effective action taken to fight against gangs during the 1996 Susurluk scandal.